


it's just polyester

by dojaely



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Boys In Love, Eventual Happy Ending, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, M/M, What am I even tagging, couple hoodies, god i love dojae, i should really start doing my school essays, my attempt at angst lol, something i had to get out of my mind, word vomit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:22:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27009550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dojaely/pseuds/dojaely
Summary: It all starts with a hoodie and Jaehyun, well, he pineshard.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung
Comments: 7
Kudos: 144





	it's just polyester

  
It was December and Jaehyun was freezing his ass off outside the university library waiting for his sister to pick him up. 

You'd wonder what kind of freshmen still waits for their siblings to pick them, from university nonetheless, but Jaehyun had a perfectly good excuse. It was that time of the year when the Jungs of Seoul, the whole clan, coincidentally or purposely have the same day off which means it's time for a reunion. 

This was an occasion no one can get out of, especially not when it would destroy poor Great Grandma Jung's heart who only wanted to see her family together and then suffer from the disapproving glare of their aunts and uncles. She was nearing a century on earth but she's still kicking.

Anyway, Krystal said she'll pick Jaehyun up after her own appointment but he'd better not let her wait or else. That's why he's outside the building instead of inside where there's a perfectly good centralized heater and plush couches. 

He was checking his phone for any new messages but ignored them altogether seeing that it came from his friends' group chat. 

"Gods above, it's so fucking cold," a voice says from beside him. Jaehyun missed the person coming out of the library. 

"Hmm, seems like it'll only get colder," he replies in lieu of a friendly conversation and turns towards the person and his breath hitches at the sight. 

It was Kim Doyoung, swallowed up by his thick parka and rubbing his hands together to create some fiction. Jaehyun notes how the tips of his ears and nose are red from the cold, his glasses fogging up slightly. 

"I guess I'll be holed up in my dorms this whole weekend then," Doyoung sighs. 

Jaehyun doesn't know what to say next and hopes that his sister doesn't arrive yet. He wanted to savor this moment longer. It's not every day he could get a moment with him.

"Why are you out here in the cold? You know the library's warm," Doyoung inquires as he gestures at the closed doors behind them. 

"My sister's picking me up for dinner," he says shyly. 

"Must be nice then," he grins. He paused for a while, visibly debating on something by the look on his face. "I haven't got your name yet. I'm Doyoung. Kim Doyoung." 

Jaehyun smiles and he hopes it's not too eager or something as he accepts the hand towards him and shakes it gingerly. Doyoung's hands were warm and he wanted to hold them forever.

"Jung Jaehyun." 

Doyoung smiles and his heart is beating so fast, like it wants to break out of his ribcage. 

"Nice to meet you, I like your hoodie." 

Jaehyun instinctively looks down at his hoodie from his opened parka and his lips twitch in a small smile. It was a simple beige hoodie, one he bought online fromlast month.

"Thanks I--" 

A loud honking of a car interrupts their conversation and they turn towards the source. Jaehyun spots his sister's Audi A5 and he sags in disappointment. 

"That's my sister, I have to go," he says while smiling at Doyoung.

"Okay then, enjoy your dinner. See you around campus, Jaehyun." 

Doyoung waves him goodbye and he does the same. He was greeted by a raised brow from his sister but he just sighs. 

\--

It seems that after that encounter, his run-ins with Doyoung becomes more frequent, especially after knowing that his roommate knows him. 

Jaehyun couldn't stop being slightly affronted at how Yuta laughs at his face when he realizes this. He could've been friends with Doyoung long ago. 

"It was nice to see you pining from someone. It's a nice change from all those people pining on you," he explains as he throws a soccer ball up and catches it with his hands and then repeats it again. 

"But hyung, you do realize he could've been my boyfriend now if you only-"

"Woah, woah, slow down there Jung, you're thinking way ahead of me here," Yuta says as he sat up straight, letting the soccer ball fall on the floor and roll towards Jaehyun's bed.

Jaehyun huffs and lays down on his own bed, staring at the cracks on the ceiling, and ignores the hard stare of Yuta at the side of his face.

"Okay fine, we'll be hanging out in his and Jungwoo's apartment tomorrow." 

Jaehyun's face lights up as he turns towards Yuta who was looking like he's regretting it already.

\--

Jaehyun knows Doyoung personally for a year now and they've gotten close and Jaehyun falls a little bit harder every time. 

"I like your hoodie," Doyoung says one time when they were having a study session, just the two of them. 

Jaehyun looks up from his thick textbook to Doyoung who was on his back on the floor of his dorm. He snorts as he bookmarks the part where he left off and closes the book. 

"You're not even looking at it." _at me_. 

"I have you and your damn hoodie imprinted behind the lids of my eyes already, Jae." 

And Jaehyun doesn't know what to reply to that so he chuckles instead and hopes it doesn't sound forced or that Doyoung doesn't hear how fast his heart is beating right now. He crawls towards Doyoung and lies down beside him, pushing away the older's notes, careful not to crumple any of them. He knows how Doyoung spends hours making them.

"It's been a year since we've known each other, hyung," he says. 

"Oh? I didn't know you kept track of that." Doyoung glances at him before looking back at the ceiling. 

"Well I do and now you know," he huffs, nudging Doyoung a little. 

Doyoung scoots closer to him and Jaehyun immediately opens his arms for a cuddle. This was still new for both of them but after Doyoung mentioned how Jaehyun's body runs like a furnace, they just started cuddling and it feels just right, like puzzle pieces falling in their right places.

They both don't say anything for a while, Jaehyun relishing his hold on Doyoung. He feels all giddy inside and pushes the thoughts of Yuta calling him coward for not confessing his feelings yet. 

Somehow, they dozed on the floor, Doyoung half on top of Jaehyun when Yuta came back, grinning like a maniac at them after putting his phone away. 

They both don't say anything and get up like nothing happened but Jaehyun didn't miss the way Doyoung's cheeks turn red and yet he says nothing, Yuta on the hand is a different case.

"You were looking cozy down there. I thought you were supposed to be studying," he snickers. 

Doyoung rolls his eyes and picks up his notes, carefully putting them inside his bag. 

"Mind your own business Yuta hyung," he mumbles, still half asleep. 

Jaehyun barely resists from cuddling him once more as he clenches his fist at his side. 

When Doyoung was ready to go, refusing Jaehyun's offer to walk him back to his apartment, they stood before the door. Jaehyun held up a paper bag towards Doyoung. 

Doyoung raises a brow before accepting it.

"What's this for? Oh my god, was it for knowing each other for a year? I'm so sorry Jaehyunie, I didn't think it was so important to you or else I-"

"Hyung," he interjects, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. "It's okay. I just wanted to give you something since it reminds me of you." 

Doyoung bites his lip and looks down at his shoes. Jaehyun was shocked at this kind of behavior from him. He was always giving things and doing things for others freely but he isn't used to the same treatment towards him.

"Hey hyung, it's really okay. You've been so nice to me since I knew you and I just wanted to give you something as a token of my appreciation." 

Jaehyun hopes that was convincing enough and it seems to be when Doyoung threw his arms around him, mumbling a thank you beside his ear before turning away and walking briskly out of his sight. 

"So, did you kiss?" 

Jaehyun throws the closest thing in his reach towards Yuta which happens to be a half empty water bottle. His laugh resonated in their whole room. 

\--

His time in university bleeds slowly and suddenly it's summer and he's now a sophomore while Doyoung is a junior. 

Jaehyun couldn't help feeling giddy inside everytime Doyoung wear the hoodie he bought him the year before. It was the red version of his own since the one like his was sold out. He accepts it as it is especially when he sees the love of his life wearing it. 

He knows Doyoung wears it at least once every two weeks or so, afraid that he might wear it out too quickly, like Jaehyun won't give his own or buy him a new if he asks.

"Ah, Jaehyunie, look at that!! There's a summer festival next week, wanna go?" Doyoung points to a poster on the walls of a café they're staying at and he can't say no. He's never been able to when it comes to him.

"Of course, hyung, I'll buy the tickets," he agrees as he ignores the look Yuta gives him. 

Doyoung smiles at him and it feels like he's the luckiest man on Earth and Jaehyun falls a little bit more everyday.

\--

It was easy to fall in love with Kim Doyoung and of course, he's not the only one. 

Leaves of red and gold are scattered around the university and the students dress warmer for the change in seasons. Jaehyun hears the crunch of leaves beneath his shoes as he waits for Doyoung to finish his last class. They were supposed to have dinner and then maybe drink with their friends before hell week starts.

Jaehyun doesn't want to dwell on it but he does because how could he not? He observed that Doyoung hasn't worn the hoodie he gave in a month. It's not that he's worried, okay maybe he is, a little, that it might change something between and not a good something either. 

He mulls over it as he stares at the fallen leaves and misses the doors of the university auditorium opening. 

"What's got you thinking deeply, Jae?" Doyoung says from beside him suddenly. 

Jaehyun jumps in surprise and catches himself shortly, avoiding the inquiring eye of Doyoung. He fixes the strap of his bag and rocks on his feet. 

"Nothing hyung, just thinking about the next family dinner. It's next week," he lies through his teeth and Doyoung knows but he doesn't push. 

That's what Jaehyun likes about him too, he waits until Jaehyun is ready to tell him what's really going on in his mind instead of pushing. 

"Missing Great Grandma Jung already? I wouldn't blame you, she is wonderful," he chuckles and Jaehyun cracks a smile at that one.

It was a coincidence, or maybe the universe was conspiring against him or something, when Great Grandma Jung was in the same restaurant he took Doyoung to that one time in summer. He could see the delightful twinkle of her eyes when she spotted his great grandson when she stepped inside the restaurant. The rest, as they say, is history. 

See, it's just so easy to fall for Kim Doyoung's charm and that seems to be the problem. 

Jaehyun was about to say something when someone inserts before a word even left his mouth. 

"Doyoung! I forgot to give this back to you," Lee Taeyong says as he handed a thick book to Doyoung. 

"I thought you said you needed it for your next class, hyung?" 

"No need, I found mine. Apparently I lent it to Johnny the other week and forgot about it. He'll give it back to me later." 

Taeyong laughs and Doyoung cracks a smile as he accepts the book and just like that, his heart breaks. It breaks even more when he sees what Taeyong is wearing and suddenly he can't think of anything else but the damn hoodie he is wearing, a bit large on his skinny frame, especially on the shoulders because it wasn't his size. It was in Doyoung's size, it was Doyoung's hoodie that Jaehyun gave. 

Jaehyun knows he can't compete with Lee Taeyong. Nobody can. He was the embodiment of perfection, with his stellar grades, kind personality, and stunning visuals. How can Jaehyun compete with him? Hell, it makes Jaehyun guilty for hating him. 

"Don't let me keep you," He says as his eyes darted from Doyoung to Jaehyun and he waves them goodbye. 

Doyoung turns towards him and cocks a brow at Jaehyun's silence. 

"You let him have your hoodie?" 

"It's just a hoodie," he snorts. 

But for Jaehyun, it wasn't.

\--

Its been two weeks since he last saw Doyoung and it's not that he's avoiding him, he's really not, no matter what Yuta and Jungwoo says. 

"Oh god, Jung, you're still here?" Yuta says as he came back to their dorm room on Saturday morning. He doesn't even want to know where he spent the night.

"Where else would I be, hyung?" 

Jaehyun was sprawled on his bed, listening to Cigarettes After Sex on vinyl. He's done all his papers and homework for next week out of sheer boredom, and no, it's not because he's hiding from Doyoung or something. He's just being a perfectly good college student.

"Huh, so you two really are fighting," Yuta sighs. 

"We're not fighting, hyung," he replies in an irritated tone.

"Could've fooled me," Yuta deadpans, changing his shirt. 

Jaehyun doesn't say anything and turns off his LP player. He's really not sulking and if he stomps a little at that, nobody has to know.

"You're so pitiful, Jung," Yuta says. "Don't forget you promised Taeil hyung you'll sing at his café tomorrow." 

"Shit, I almost forgot about that." 

Jaehyun bolts from his bed and pulls out his guitar from the side. It's been a while since he played. It was a good thing Yuta plays it sometimes which is why it's still in perfect tune. 

He strums his guitar, plunking for some inspiration until it hits. Suddenly, time ticks away and he's in Taeil's café, performing as promised. 

Taeil smiles from the counter, giving a thumbs up. He returns it with a smile. Yuta, Jungwoo, and Mark were on a table not far from the makeshift stage, cheering him on. 

"Hi," he says with a smile. "So this song is about someone who wasn't loved by the person they love. Quite familiar, eh?" 

He earns a few laughs and that settles his nerves slightly. Jaehyun adjusted the guitar on his lap as he's perched on a stool. The lights pointed at him was making it hotter but he disregarded it and started strumming. 

_I still remember third of December_

_Me in your sweater, you said it looked better_

_On me, than it did you, only if you knew_

_How much I liked you, but I watch your eyes_

And just like that, the lyrics fall from his lips, bitter and biting. It's okay, Jaehyun tells himself. He's not here. He won't hear it, he won't hear Jaehyun pouring his heart out for a man now out of his reach.

_As she walks by_

_What a sight for sore eyes_

_Brighter than the blue sky_

_She's got you mesmerized_

_While I die_

_Why would you ever kiss me?_

_I'm not even half as pretty_

_You gave her your sweater_

_It's just polyester_

_But you like her better_

_Wish I were Heather_

Jaehyun recalls the first time he meets his Heather, when Taeyong calls after Doyoung, the name rolling off his tongue like it's said with much reverence and love. He recalls their easy smiles, the shared laughs, and-- and what can Jaehyun do? He'll never be the person who'll stand between the man Doyoung loves even if it wasn't him. Jaehyun wishes he was Heather. 

_Why would you ever kiss me?_

_I'm not even half as pretty_

_You gave her your sweater_

_It's just polyester_

_But you like her better_

_I wish I were Heather_

_Wish I were Heather_

_Wish I were Heather_

He remembers Taeyong sauntering up to them wearing the hoodie Jaehyun specifically gave to Doyoung as a token of his feelings even if he didn't know it. Still, he was pretty sure it was a Doyoung and Jaehyun thing but why was he wearing it? 

Jaehyun remembers staying up all night that day thinking where did it go wrong? Maybe, just maybe, Yuta was right for not shooting his shot when he had the chance before it slipped away and now it did because Doyoung is not here. 

_Why would you ever kiss me?_

  
_I'm not even half as pretty_

  
_You gave her your sweater_

  
_It's just polyester_

  
_But you like her better_

  
_Wish I were_

All these eyes were trained upon him but none of those were the eyes he wanted to look at him because they were already looking at someone else. 

And just like that, he's singing the last notes of the song and the applause comes. The compliments were overwhelming but he took it in a stride. He thanks them for their kind words and bolted off the stage, high fiving Taeil as he went. 

Everyone else was resuming their conversation as the stage is empty and Jaehyun is left with himself. He debates maybe leaving the venue and calling it a night before his friends spot him and decides just that but Doyoung was standing on the shop's only entrance, looking at him with a smile. 

and he's wearing the hoodie again. 

Jaehyun is unsure what to do and he's left standing, unaware of his friends' conniving smiles. Of course they find a way to drag Doyoung here. 

Turns out, he didn't have to do much when Doyoung approaches him instead and takes Jaehyun's free hand in his. 

"Hey," he says softly, looking at him like he's never looked at him before. 

Jaehyun didn't know how to respond but Doyoung drags him outside but doesn't let go of his hand.

"You didn't come see me," Doyoung starts. "For a whole month, you didn't come see me." 

Jaehyun opens his mouth to respond but closes it again after not knowing what to say. He didn't want to tell Doyoung the truth, not if it might cost him their friendship. He'd rather have pieces of Doyoung than not have him at all. 

"I don't know, hyung, it seems like you didn't need me anymore," he admits quietly, fiddling with a loose thread of his guitar case. 

Jaehyun is aware of their close proximity, their elbows and shoulders touching. Doyoung doesn't pull away and Jaehyun won't if he won't. 

"Jaehyun, how can you say that?" 

He's aware of the eyes boring at the side of his face but he doesn't meet them. He can't meet them, afraid what he'll find in them. Jaehyun doesn't say anything. 

"I'll always need you, Jae." 

The hand holding his let's go and they're suddenly on his shoulders, forcing them to face one another and this time, Jaehyun cannot escape those eyes. 

"Hyung, you don't. You have Taeyong now. You can't possibly need me anymore,"

"Oh Jae,"

Doyoung steps closer and they're almost breaths apart. Anyone looking at the right angle might think they're kissing. 

"Is that what you think? Was Taeyong hyung your Heather?" 

He nods and Jaehyun's heart won't slow down no matter how much he wills it to. He's surprised Doyoung can't hear it this close. 

"I don't know when it happened. It was just a fascination at first but after I knew you, it turned into something else and it's just so easy being with you. You're like the missing pieces I'm missing and. . . and what I'm saying is that you complete me, Jung Jaehyun. And. . . and it hurt when you ignored me, when I couldn't reach you and you were obviously staying away from me and I didn't want to push because I know you'll come to on your own time but you didnt and--"

"Hyung, I'm sorry," Jaehyun whispers, wiping the tears escaping his love's eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't know, I'm such an idiot and all this time I thought. . ."

Doyoung laughs and it's bright despite the tear tracks on his face and Jaehyun couldn't think of him as anything else but beautiful.

"We're both idiots," He giggles. 

Jaehyun nods and pulls him closer, hands on lithe hips. Doyoung's arms were wrapped around his neck, meeting him in the middle, chests colliding and his eyes slip shut. Jaehyun's lips meet his and suddenly everything is alright despite the cold starting to creep up on them for staying outside. 

And when their lips parted, Jaehyun observes the slight flush in Doyoung's cheeks and that prompts him to shower small kisses all over his face, his giggles only fueling him more.

"Finally, our dorm wouldn't have this bad energy around," Yuta snorts from behind them. 

Jaehyun laughs and hugs Doyoung tighter when he burries his head on the crook of his neck, the tips of his ears red. 

"I got you." 

**Author's Note:**

> have you listened to conan gray's heather? damn, it's so dojae or maybe it's just me lol. anyway, nct 2020 resonance has come out!! please check it out and stream!! 
> 
> oh and im talking about dojae's couple grish hoodies! doyoung's is red and jaehyun's is gray and beige!! <3 im pretty sure every dojae stan knows what im talking about. . . or am i?? 
> 
> thank you for reading and stay safe always!


End file.
